An innovative device to detect pollutants in waterby | 04-01-2017 20:20 |
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 A portable device that can easily detect pollutants in water used for crops and landscaping has been designed and made by four UAE University students. The project, which is awaiting patent, was created as an alternative to the bulky, time consuming and expensive methods employed by scientists for use in developing countries as well as the UAE.It will be used to test grey water – waste from household appliances such as washing machines, sinks and baths that contain traces of household cleaning products, dirt, hair and grease – before it is used in fields to avoid contaminating produce.The device can also detect traces of heavy metals in water, which are measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma. But this is costly, high maintenance and requires scientists to bring their water samples to the lab for analysis. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury are known to induce damage in organs, even at low exposure levels. They are also classified as human carcinogens by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Most water supply companies in the UAE have labs and they are working very well in terms of analysing the drinking water, so we don?t have to worry about water here.But the point is that here, what we do sometimes have is grey water and that is often put on to the fields or the road-dividers where you have plants. So you have to be sure that you do not put a lot of heavy metals into the ground again. The main objective was to develop a device that can accurately detect very low concentrations of lead, and at the same time is easily carried and handled, so scientists don?t need to carry the sample from the main source to the lab for analysis. Very expensive analytical instruments for testing water are difficult to afford and that is where this device becomes more effective and efficient. |
